Team 2012-13: Portland Trailblazers (USA-NBA)Career: Le Mans (France-ProA, 2003-08); Portland Trailblazers (USA-NBA, 2008-11); Nancy (France-ProA, 2011); Portland Trailblazers (USA-NBA, 2012-13)Beginning his career at his local club, Pont l'Evêque, Batum made his professional debut with Le Mans in 2006 before switching to the NBA in 2008 when he was drafted 25th overall by the Houston Rockets who then traded his rights to Portland. During the NBA lockout in 2011, he briefly returned to France to sign with Nancy before resuming his career with the Trailblazers. He played on the French national teams that claimed the gold medal at the U16 (2004) and U18 (2006) European Championship, taking MVP honours at the latter. He made his senior debut in 2009 in a friendly with Austria and had made 59 appearances heading into 2013, including in France's loss to Spain in the 2011 EuroBasket final. His late father Henry also played professional basketball but died on court from a heart attack during a game in 1991. He helped set up the Foundation Batum to assist pregnant women and women with children in Africa. His Twitter is @nicolas88batum.